Wet questions

Complications from all the wet weather are dominating the inquiries to the Ag Knowledge Centre of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. Producers have been asking about nitrogen losses and whether topdressing fertilizer might pay. It’s hard to give a clear cut answer, but cropping specialists are advising producers to scout canola and mustard crops for signs of sulphate deficiency. The symptoms usually appear in patches and include upward cupping of the leaves, yellowing between the veins of the earliest leaves, spindly plants and leaves with reddening or purpling on the underside. The fix is a prompt application of granular ammonium sulphate. More producers than usual are considering the aerial application of herbicides. Because of leaf diseases, producers are asking about mixing in fungicide with their herbicide application. Land rolling of pulses has also been delayed and producers are asking how late they can safely roll without causing yield loss. In some cases, producers are wondering about seeding crops for green feed or late grazing. The Ag Knowledge Centre says that on the forage side, there is growing concern that standing water and high humidity may make it difficult to harvest great-looking hay stands. I’m Kevin Hursh.